Overview

• Alberta's Bill 54, which lowers the threshold for citizen-led referendums, is progressing through the legislature and could enable a 2026 vote on provincial independence.
• The Alberta Prosperity Project has drafted a referendum question and plans to gather 600,000 signatures to push for a vote, exceeding the new legal requirements.
• First Nations leaders, including AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, denounce separation efforts as unconstitutional and a violation of treaties predating Alberta's provincial status.
• Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre opposes Alberta separatism but acknowledges widespread frustration with federal policies affecting the province's energy sector.
• Recent polling indicates 19% of Albertans would definitely vote to leave Canada, with 17% leaning toward separation, though a majority still favor unity.